Local News

A 15-year-old juvenile has been charged in connection with a single-vehicle accident involving himself and three other underage passengers.

Police received a call to Pleasantview Road (Route 743) in Carroll County at 9 p.m. on Aug. 2. According to a police report filed by Virginia State Police Trooper Dean Horton, the 15-year-old was operating a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado pickup when he ran off the road to the right, traveled back across the road to the left, and then ran off the road again to the right and struck a tree.

State police and emergency officials responded to a single-vehicle accident involving four juveniles on July 2.

Police received a call at 9 p.m. to Pleasantview Road in Carroll County, after four juveniles in a pickup truck ran off the side of the road, struck a tree and overturned.

According to Virginia State Police 1st Sgt. Mike Musser, one of the juveniles was ejected from the vehicle. "One had some fairly serious injuries, but the others I don't think were injured as badly," he added.

FANCY GAP — Local authorities joined in a search for a missing child from the Critz area of Patrick County on Wednesday, after a tip led authorities to believe that the child and his abductor were at a residence in Fancy Gap.

Tommy Lee Able Engle, age 3, had been missing since Monday evening, according to the Virginia Amber Alert website. The alert was issued Tuesday at 6:10 p.m., and then cancelled Wednesday afternoon after the child was safely located in Pikeville, Ky., according to a news release from Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith.

According to the Galax Police Department, Harley David Phillips, 34, was arrested and charged with violating the Drug Control Act.

Phillips was charged by Officer Chris Hines, who had responded to a residence on Petty Road in Galax. During Hines’ investigation, he discovered a quantity of suspected methamphetamine, according to a police report.

“Phillips admitted that he had distributed a portion of the substance before it was discovered by Hines,” the report said.

INDEPENDENCE – Grayson County supervisors have unanimously approved a special use permit that will allow various recreational events in Fries after a trial event went off without any issues earlier this year.

Crystal Leonard applied for a permanent special use permit for a parcel of land that is zoned Rural Farm Zone, after a successful ‘mud bog’ event held earlier this year was successful.

INDEPENDENCE — The Grayson County Planning Commission has approved a long-term special use permit to allow year-round commercial recreation events on the property of James Carico, near 206 Cattle Drive in Fries.

After the property hosted a “Mudder’s Day Mud Bog Festival” that attracted more than 500 attendees in May, event organizer and zoning applicant Crystal Leonard contacted the commission about obtaining the permit so that the location could host future activities and festivals.

National Night Out, celebrated across America — and even on some U.S. military bases on foreign soil — is coming to Galax again on Aug. 5.

“National Night Out started by bringing law enforcement and the community together against crime,” said Galax Police Capt. James Cox. “It gets the public out and lets them know who their public safety officials are. It’s a meet and greet.”